Saturday, May 26, 2012

THE BIG ONE

[excerpt] "...After being hit by an unusually powerful earthquake and the tsunami it generated, Fukushima lost its connection to the off-site electrical grid and its own backup generators, making it impossible to cool the reactors to prevent a meltdown and release of radiation.

Although an equally powerful earthquake and tsunami were deemed unlikely in this country,"

[end excerpt]

Let us think about this for a moment. Hmmm...

San Onofre and Diablo Canyon nuclear plants are on the coast of California. Diablo Canyon is built ON A FAULT and San Onofre is in quake-prone LA.

I grew up in California and earthquakes are not unusual and indeed, one grows up expecting THE BIG ONE.

As children, we were prepped and prepared for "THE BIG ONE."

Those were the exact words.

Now, tell me how a strong earthquake and tsunami in California are "unlikely in this country."

San Onofre has had a series of severe pipe malfunctions. It may not take THE BIG ONE to destroy that aging plant...

Wind-farms and solar are emerging everywhere in CA and AZ. We don't have to rely on nuclear. We may have to learn with less electricity, but at least can live with alternative energy.

About Me

I am a Professor at a large public university. I study political economy and biopolitics (the politics of life). My interests are diverse but are broadly concerned with economic, social and environmental justice. I have published 5 books: Crisis Communication, Liberal Democracy and Ecological Sustainability: The Threat of Financial and Energy Complexes in the Twenty-First Century (2016); Fukusima and the Privatization of Risk (2013); Constructing Autism (2005); Governmentality, Biopower and Everyday Life (2008/2011); Governing Childhood (2010).
I also participated in an edited collection on Fukushima: Fukushima: Dispossession or Denuclearization (2014).